A repeat of History
by Winter's angel
Summary: Quall story...but this one's got a twist to it.....it takes place in another tme frame! please, please review it ok?
1. Default Chapter

Author's note: Okay, while thinking about the name Final Fantasy one day, I decided to turn it into a real fantasy…you know, w

Author's note: Okay, while thinking about the name Final Fantasy one day, I decided to turn it into a real fantasy…you know, with castles and kings and stuff.

Adel may seem totally out of place now, but I'm planning to use her when I develop the story…don't flame me yet!!!

The Repeat of History: Sorceress Wars (Chapter I) 

By Silver Dolphin

Most of the inhabitants of Esthar Castle had already settled down for the night. Of course, there were the usual sentries and guards, but everyone else was pretty much in their own chambers.

The West Wing of the Castle housed the royal family, who were gathered in the living room by the roaring fire this cold winter night.

King Laguna sat in an armchair, reading a scroll by the flickering firelight. Or rather pretending to read, while he regarded his family.

The king sighed and stretched. He had long since past the prime of his life; he was slowly growing old now. Not that he minded, really. Such was the way of life, and he had two promising sons whom he could leave his kingdom to. Provided that they didn't kill each other in the process of ruling the kingdom.

He looked at his wife sitting opposite him, the mother of his elder son. Adel, his legitimate wife. He had agreed to marry her in order join their two kingdoms together, as both were on the same continent. It had seemed suitable for their two small kingdoms to unite as one.

As for love…he had never loved Adel. Once Raine had captured his heart, it had been impossible for him to love another. _My sweet, beautiful Raine… you left me the day Squall was born. _ Raine had been his wife once he'd been crowned king, while Adel…Adel had not come into the picture till years later.

But in the acknowledgement of the joining of the two kingdoms to what was Esthar today, it was Adel who ruled beside him as Queen. Raine had been pushed to the position of his second wife. 

He looked at the son whom his beloved had left him, the day she'd died seventeen years ago. Squall was never one to talk or initiate discussion. At an early age he had learned to keep his thoughts to himself. It was not easy being an illegitimate child; although Raine had been his wife, Squall would only inherit after his half brother, Seifer. Mostly he kept himself to himself, spending his days with his First Knight's adopted daughter, Quistis. The two had grown up together. He smiled fondly. Quistis was like the daughter he had never had.

While Squall was more his father's son, with the same facial features, Seifer was a different story. He was all his mother to look at, with butter yellow hair and dark green eyes. He had also inherited his mother's cunning, competitive nature. 

Oh, the king was very aware of the antagonism that had existed between Raine and Adel when Raine had lived. Adel was a wolf-mother, seeing everything that Laguna bestowed on his Squall as something that had been taken away from Seifer. And he had never once hinted that he wished to pass Seifer's inheritance to Squall. It was mean and petty of Adel to begrudge his attentions to his younger son.

__

My Squall…strong and fierce like the wind you were named after. He gazed with pride at the boy, sitting quietly polishing his gunblade. Seifer had retired to bed early, no doubt with some pretty girl for the night's entertainment. Seifer was eighteen after all, an age when blood was fiery in young males. Laguna was pretty open-minded about stuff like that. He'd simply warned Seifer not to impregnate anyone he didn't want to marry. He certainly didn't want his son to be caught between two women, like he had been.

Two sharp raps sounded on the door, and it opened to reveal a tall, dark man with a beautiful young girl by his side.

"Ah, Kiros." The king stood to clasp hands with his First Knight and Champion. He smiled at the girl. "Lady Quistis."

"My Lord." She bowed formally, then excused herself to join Squall at the other end of the room.

Adel had also risen to greet the King's Champion, and the three sat down to begin another discussion of politics.

At the other side of the room, Quistis had settled down next to Squall.

"How much more are you going to polish? If you keep this up you'll wear your gunblade down to nothing."

"I like my weapon shiny." However, he put the rag down.

"Are you still up to practicing with me tomorrow morning?" Her eyes shone with challenge.

"Of course. I'll beat you this time."

"Keep dreaming," Quistis teased. "You'll get there someday." Her face sobered then. "But I do have to be the best, you know. When you're king, I'll be your champion. I'll have to protect you in times of need, and be your advisor, so I'll have to be smart, too. Just like my father is."

"You forget," Squall said expressionlessly. "Seifer will be king after my father."

She shrugged. "Forget Seifer. I'll be your champion, king or no." 

Quistis smiled at her long-time friend. It was becoming difficult for her to hide her feelings for the handsome prince. In all her eighteen years, Quistis had never ever fallen for any other man. Oh, there had been several attempts made by young aristocrats to woo her, but she'd flatly turned each of them down. Driving her father crazy in the process, of course.

She could never tell Kiros that she was in love with her childhood friend, Squall. Or Prince Leonhart as he was so often called. Squall was simply just a pet name that his mother had left him. He had been reluctant to get rid of that, the only thing that he had left of Raine. He had never known his mother. At least she had known her parents for three years, before they'd both been assassinated. After which Kiros had taken her in as his daughter.

Squall was watching her with that little smile he reserved only for her. To others, he was a cold, silent person. But with her he was different: there was that occasional laugh, and those little smiles (or rather half smiles). And at least he spoke in sentences with her.

"What?" She was beginning to feel self-conscious.

"Why don't you leave your hair down more often?" he asked. She had just washed her hair, and it had been slightly damp when she'd left her quarters. Which was why she had left it loose for the night.

"Because I'm a warrior. Can you imagine how troublesome loose hair would be? I'll be likely to get it all chopped off in battle."

"Don't you want what other girls do? Rich, handsome husbands and babies?" he was eyeing her with that arch look. Even though he was ten months younger than she, sometimes he could really make her feel inferior.

A blush touched her cheeks. "I'm not like all those empty headed girls. I'm to be your champion in the future. I don't need children holding me down." She smiled faintly. "And even if I did want all those, you fit the criteria easily."

A startled look came into his eyes. "You're not serious, are you?"

"What if I am?" Usually she was afraid to scare him away, but she was feeling a little bolder tonight. 

"I'd think you were crazy." There was no humor on his face.

Quistis struggled to hide the hurt his words had caused her. She flashed a forced smile. "As I said, I don't need a family to hold me down. I'll be at your service twenty four hours a day."

"Hn."

"We'll still be able ride and practice together, right?"

"Yeah. And don't forget the swimming."

"You would remember. You were the one who almost drowned me."

"We were only playing," Squall said defensively.

She laughed, momentary anguish gone. "I'll never forget all that water in my lungs." She smiled an odd smile, one that he couldn't decipher. "And how you performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on me."

It was his turn to blush. "Think I'll just let you die there? You're heavy, and I didn't want to have to drag you all the way back from the lake."

"Be nice." She said it almost absently. 

"I am."

It was true. He was certainly much nicer to her than to any other girl. Or to any other person, for that matter.

"Quistis!" Kiros called from the other end of the room.

"See you tomorrow. Five o'clock at the stables. Don't be late!" She jumped up and headed towards her father, then turned around again "Oh, Squall? You may want to get rid of that little scratch on your gunblade."

"What?" He examined his gunblade carefully, but found nothing to mar the polished surface. "Quistis!"

She laughed, and with a little backhand wave exited the room with her father.

- Owari - (for now)

Whaddaya guys think? Reviews please! So that I know whether I should continue or not! 


	2. Hidden treachery

A repeat of History: Sorceress Wars (Chapter 2)

A repeat of History: Sorceress Wars (Chapter 2)

By Silver Dolphin

Squall suddenly came awake. His sleeping chamber was pitch dark, but that told him nothing about the time. There had been no moon the previous night.

Still, he knew it was early, probably around three o'clock. He had always had a sixth sense about time. He also knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep again.

Quistis. Probably the center of his life, the only one he was truly comfortable with. No one would have believed it, but deep in his heart there was affection for the energetic, determined and sometimes-bossy girl.

Oh, well. He might as well get up and start preparations. At least this time she wouldn't be waiting there, tapping her foot impatiently.

The torches burned in the wall sconces, illuminating the stables with warm orange light. He went straight to his bay-colored mount and began grooming him. Squall was never one to trust his horse to one of those careless stable hands.

As the sky began to lighten, shot with silver streaks, the stable doors opened and Quistis entered, with her chain whip wrapped around her waist. She stopped short in surprise.

"You're early."

"No, you're late."

"I am not. I'm never late."

"Hn."

"Come on, before it starts to get noisy around here."

Quistis led her creamy mare out of the stable, with Squall right behind her. Once out on the grassy stable yard, she turned around to Squall. 

"Race you there." Without waiting for an answer she swung up into her saddle and galloped off.

"Hey - " Squall quickly mounted too, and soon his horse was thundering after hers. At the last second, Squall's larger stallion overtook her, and he slowed to a halt.

"You cheated." He slipped off the saddle, a tiny smile on his lips.

"So? You still beat me in the end." He came round to lift her off her saddle, and for once she didn't scorn the help, allowing his hands to slide down the length of her body as unselfconsciously as a child. 

"Warmed up? Let's go." She unwrapped her whip from around her waist, and cracked it sharply once.

Squall took his position opposite her and poised himself. Both stood with their weapons ready, carefully assessing each other.

It was Quistis who made the first move. In a lightning-quick movement she flicked her whip, and he blocked easily. Then he made a lunge at her, wielding the heavy gunblade as if it weighed nothing, while she brought her whip up to defend herself. 

The two continued to spar, and the sound of whip cracks and sword blows rang loudly in the silent clearing. Both fought fiercely, each for reasons different from the other. Knowing that this was a friendly sparring session, Squall was able to utilize his skill fully, without worrying that his opponent would throw the match and let him, the Prince, win. Quistis, being Quistis, would never do that.

Quistis, striving to prove herself worthy of being King's Champion, continued pressing her attacks on Squall. But then a heavily landed blow caused her to loosen her grip on her whip, and the weapon slipped out of her hands.

"Give up?" He stood, gunblade pointed, while she clutched her aching wrist.

"Nope!" She vaulted over into a somersault, and, measuring the distance carefully, deftly kicked the blade hard. Unprepared for the sudden blow, Squall let the weapon go, and it fell to the ground with a solid 'thunk'.

Quistis finished her move by landing neatly on one leg, and then pouncing on Squall. The two fell and rolled over, and then, before the prince could get up, Quistis had straddled him, using her hands to pin his shoulders to the ground.

"Game over." She smiled sweetly at him, eyes still glowing from the heat of the battle.

Gasping slightly, he tried to sit up, pushing her off his stomach as he did so. "That wasn't fair."

"And why not?" she raised her eyebrow.

He opened his mouth, then shut it again. "Forget it." 

She tried to push herself off the ground, but sharp pains shot through her wrist. "Ow."

"What happened?" He picked her wrist up for a closer look. The gunblade had scored her silken flesh, and the blood was coagulated on the cut. The area around the cut had swelled slightly.

"It's nothing." She tried to remove her wrist. His fingers were sending electric shocks up her arm. 

"Hn." She could see he was getting ready to cast cure.

"It'll heal by itself in a few days."

He gave her a flat look. "You want me to get a roasting from Kiros when we get back?"

She sighed. "Okay."

The spell crept around the cut, tickling slightly as it closed the flesh. Soon the pain was gone. 

Squall, however, kept his hand on her forearm.

"Aren't you a little old to go around dressed like that?"

"What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?" She wore a sleeveless tunic, belted at the waist, and pants that hugged her legs. 

"You should be wearing gowns and jewellery, learning how to be a lady. Instead of accompanying the Prince on his riding expeditions." 

"I AM a lady."

"That's not what I meant."

She ignored him. "I happen to like riding and training. These clothes are best suited for that. And the Prince happens to be my best friend."

"You're probably going to get a rowing from Kiros. Again."

"So?"

"It's your choice."

"Why these questions? You don't like my company?"

"It's not that." Far from it. He was afraid that one day, she would leave his side to become a proper Lady. 

"Well then, what?" 

He refused to look at her. "The sun's up. Let's go." Then, as she didn't move, "Aren't you hungry?"

"Come to think of it, yeah." She mounted her mare, and, with a small smile at him, started for home.

Quistis opened the door to her living quarters, wincing as it creaked. So much for a stealthy entrance.

As if on cue, Kiros came out of his room. "That you, Quisty?"

"Yes. Good morning, Kiros. " She stood up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Then she stepped back and prepared herself for a long lecture.

Kiros's eyes took in her sweaty clothes and chain whip, as well as the state her hair was in. "Practicing again."

"Yes." A wary note crept into her voice.

"When are you going to grow up?"

"I am."

"Other girls your age are happily married now."

"I'm not other girls. I'm your daughter. I take after you. I want to be a warrior, not a housewife." Her hand went to the whip at her waist.

"It's your choice, Quistis. I'm not going to nag anymore. You're grown up now, and you know what you want."

"Huh?"

"You've had your share of suitors, and you've turned them all down." He smiled crookedly. "I guess you've made your point, adding a few white hairs to my head in the process."

"I don't want to get married. I'm going to be Squall's Champion."

Kiros's eyes watched her sharply. "You love him, don't you?"

"What…what makes you say that?"

"I can see. He's a good boy. Which is more than I can say for Seifer."

"What's going to happen when Seifer becomes King?"

"You're to be his Champion. Make sure you advise him wisely. That boy's only got selfish intentions in his head. It's Adel's fault, that."

"What if I don't want to be?"

"No such thing." He pushed her off to the bathroom. "Hurry up and take a shower."

Half an hour later she made her way to the dining hall, putting her hair into a loose ponytail as she walked. It was still slightly damp.

"Ah, my Lady Quistis."

She turned around in surprise. "Seifer."

He smirked at her. Up close, she had to admit that he was very handsome.

"It's such a waste. The most beautiful girl in Esthar hasn't spent a night with me yet."

"Forget it, Seifer. I'm not as sex-crazed as all those other bimbos you bed every night."

"Loyal to the end, are we?" he mocked her. "What loyalty does a bastard deserve?"

"He's your brother, Prince."

"An accident of birth, Lady mine." His eyes narrowed. "When that Raine realized that she wasn't going to be Queen, she had that bastard to mess things up."

"That's enough!" Quistis cut in. "Squall's just as good a Prince as you are! That's why you're jealous, isn't it!"

"Jealous?" he laughed scornfully. "I'm ashamed of you, Quistis. For the smartest person in Esthar you're certainly dense in perceiving things."

Still smirking, he walked ahead of her.

Oooh. Quistis found that she was quivering with anger. "Prince, my foot." She muttered under her breath. "I pray that Hyne will bless our kingdom when Laguna is gone."

She was still fuming when she slipped into the dining hall and took her place. Squall wasn't there yet. Neither was the King, although Adel was already seated next to Seifer. As her eyes met his, he gave her a sly wink. She resisted the urge to pick up her knife and hurl it at him.

The great doors opened again, this time at the entrance of Laguna and Squall. As Quistis watched, Adel's eyes blazed with sudden fire, and she cast a look at her son. Seifer didn't notice, however. His gaze was fixed, unwinking, on the figure of his half-brother. 

The royal pair took their places, Squall beside Quistis, Laguna beside Squall. Adel sat on Laguna's other side, followed by Seifer. 

Throughout the meal, she kept her eyes on the Queen, all the while feeling the presence of Squall next to her.

She feared for him who was so unfearful for himself. Sorceress Adel was not one to take lightly.

"You need to be careful," she said softly to Squall.

"Hmm?" he asked, putting his knife and fork down.

"Adel. Didn't you see the look on her face when you came in?"

"I know. She can't do anything, not while Laguna is my father."

That was how she feared he'd take it. Squall tended to think he was invincible.

"Quistis!" She started out of her thoughts, and turned round to answer Kiros.

Straight after breakfast she was obliged to go to the library for lessons with Mistress Edea. Quistis was a fast learner, much faster than any of the other scholars in Esthar. Therefore, her father and King Laguna had decided to let her have lessons one-on-one. 

There was something very wrong with Mistress Edea today, she decided as she leafed through her history book. The woman was talking a whole bunch of crap about some sorceress war. And the name Adel kept cropping up.

But weren't the sorceress wars a thing of the past? The horrible dictatorship of a long line of sorceresses, all the bloodshed and unhappiness? 

"Uh…Mistress Edea?"

"Yes, child?"

"Isn't all that you're saying…all in the past?"

Edea sighed. "So we'd like to believe, child. I feel the past awakening. I fear…that destruction is upon us all."

"I don't get it."

"It's all right. Just my ramblings, really… let's get started on another chapter, shall we?"

And the rest of the morning passed without any more incidents.

"Where can that idiot be?" Quistis muttered to herself as she roamed the halls of Esthar Castle. She had looked for Squall in every conceivable place she could think of, but he was nowhere to be found. Add that to the creepy feeling she'd been having since that conversation with Edea…yep, the morning was definitely not going her way.

In desperation she entered the throne room. It was highly unlikely, but he might be with his father.

"Yes, Lady Quistis?" The king's friendly voice reached her ears. Laguna stood up from where he was bent over a scroll on his throne. From where she was standing, he looked exhausted.

"I was looking for Prince Leonhart, my Lord," she replied in a resigned tone. "I guess he's not here."

"No, he's not. I believe he's in the infirmary."

"Why?" Squall had not set foot into that room for years, not since the time he'd fallen out of that huge tree they'd been climbing and broken his arm.

"A gunblade accident. I think he was sparring with Seifer."

"Oh, Hyne." Without even bothering to bow to Laguna she turned heel and raced off. Her long legs ate the distance between the throne room and the infirmary quickly.

She burst through the door, worry evident in her clear azure eyes. Squall was lying on a high mattress – with half his face covered in blood.

"Dear Hyne, what happened?" Squall jerked up at the sound of her voice, but the physician held him down firmly.

"Since you're here, my Lady, could you help me with cleaning his face? I'll need to prepare the needle."

"Needle?" she asked incredulously, taking the cloths from the physician.

"The cut is very deep. It needs to be sewn." The woman hurried off to the other side of the room.

"Okay, my Lord Prince, exactly what were you thinking of?" 

"Seifer challenged me," he replied defensively. "I had to accept."

"And how many more challenges are you going to accept?" There was a steely note in her voice. "Until he kills you?"

"I can take care of myself."

"Sure, you can. Let's see how many scars it takes to prove that." In contrast to her cutting tone, however, her hands were gentle as she cleaned the drying blood off his face.

He shut his eyes, flinching slightly whenever the cut smarted.

"Sorry. There." She removed the bloody cloth from his face. Up close, she could see how deep the cut was. It ran from forehead to the bridge of his nose, and it was a raw, nasty red.

"What exactly was the challenge about, anyway?" she asked, smoothing the hair off his forehead so that it wouldn't get into the gash. "I wouldn't have thought there was anything left to challenge you about."

He sighed. "You."

"Me?" she repeated skeptically.

"He started spouting rubbish about how I should defend your loyalty. I don't think he knew what he was talking about, himself. He was just itching for a fight."

"Well then, why did you bother to answer him?"

"I just didn't like the way he was talking about you."

"Men!" she rolled her eyes skywards, but inside – she was touched that he'd fight Seifer because of her.

"How'd you find me?"

"Laguna."

"Oh, yeah. My father came across us fighting. I think he yelled at Seifer to stop after Seifer clobbered my head."

"How?"

"He used magic." Disgust was evident in Squall's voice. "Cheat."

"You're too noble for your own good."

He scowled at her, then winced as the movement brought pain to his forehead. 

At that moment the physician came over, needle in hand. Quistis hastily backed away. Needles were definitely not her favorite things. 

When the sewing was done, she studied his face critically. "It's not that bad, actually. It kind of makes you look more human."

"Do I look like a monster to you?"

"Not that way." She frowned at him. "It ruins your perfect beauty, though." She smiled that odd little smile of hers, the one that he could never decipher. "I guess you're going to break the hearts of many young ladies then."

"WHAT ladies?" there was actually a panicked look in his eyes.

"I was just joking." She paused. "Are you going to lie there all day?"

"Of course not." He got up and touched the scar gingerly. "Doesn't hurt that bad."

Quistis laughed and impulsively gave him a hug. Gone were the days when she'd been taller than him. He was grown up now, no longer the little boy she'd felt an elder sister's need to protect. Holding him this close, she could feel that very clearly.

He gave her a bemused look. "What was that for?"

"Nothing." She smiled mysteriously, then tugged on his arm. "Come on. Let's go to the city for awhile, shall we?"

"Okay." So saying, they went to saddle their horses.

It was very late when they returned from Esthar City. Only then did they learn that the king was dying.

- end chapter 2 -

And so the plot thickens (although very slightly). It's a slow process so be patient okay? Should I still continue this series?


	3. Dawn of a new era

"Dying

A repeat of history: Sorceress Wars (Chapter 3)

"Dying?" Quistis asked in disbelief. "That's impossible! King Laguna was perfectly fine this afternoon!"

When they'd returned from Esthar City, Kiros had summoned them to the council chambers to break the news of the dying king.

Kiros himself did not look well. His dark face, once the image of strength and calm, now looked old and tired.

"What happened?" It was Squall this time, his voice firm and calm.

"Laguna went into a series of seizures in the late afternoon. He's very weak now. We fear… another seizure will kill him."

"Isn't there any medication…?"

"No, my daughter. The physicians cannot help him. He is dying."

"Seizures…how come they occurred one after the other? Isn't there usually a break or so in between?" Quistis argued.

"Yes. This illness has all the court physicians baffled. No one knows what it is."

"Can I see him?" Squall's face was perfectly composed.

"Of course, Prince. Come with me."

The King lay on his bed, still and cold. Gathered by his bedside were the Queen, Seifer, and the other ministers. 

The King's once beautiful face, so like Squall's, was lined and gray. His expression was contorted with pain.

"Father." Squall stepped up to clasp the king's hand.

Laguna opened his eyes with great effort. "My son. Raine…"

With a gasp, he continued. "Be the King you were born to be. Prince Leonhart, I name you as my heir."

"No!" It was a snarl from Adel. "The Kingship belongs to Seifer!" 

The king shuddered, breathing hard. "My decision, Adel. While I am still king…" He moved his head slightly to look at Quistis. "Look after my son, Lady Quistis, as King's champion…"

Queen Adel's eyes were wild. "The king is in great state of pain, my Lords. Surely he does not know what he is talking about!"

There was silence for a while. Then Kiros coolly replied, "While the King is alive, all decisions are his to make."

The tension was dissolved by a strangled gasp from Laguna. As they watched, the King went into his last seizure. Quistis closed her eyes and leaned her head on Kiros's shoulder for support.

A storm of wailing from the Queen told her that the King was dead. Tears trickled down her cheeks, to fall unheeded onto the cold stone floor.

"Hold her." It was Kiros talking to someone else. She felt herself be transferred into another person's arms, and she leaned in to him, grateful for the comfort he provided. But when she raised her head, she got a nasty shock.

Seifer.

"What in Hyne...?" she cursed, shying away from his touch. What was that soft look in his eyes?

She forced herself to look at the king. Kiros had covered the body with the sheet, and she could only make out a shape beneath it. Which was perfectly fine by her.

Squall…what was he thinking now? He had just lost his father, and had inherited Laguna's most important possession of all. The Kingship.

He stood there alone. Untouchable. For a moment their eyes locked, and she read easily the lost look in those familiar blue-gray orbs. Squall would have looked like a stone statue to anyone else, but Quistis, who had spent the last fifteen years of her life with him, could see how confused he was.He dropped his eyes, as the people in the room began to move out.

"Don't get too confident yet," Seifer hissed, green eyes aflame as he pushed past Squall. "Brother," he added, spitting out the word as if it was an obscenity. The usual arrogant smirk was gone from his face. Instead, it bore a look of suppressed fury.

The funeral took place two days later, on a national basis. Straight after the funeral was the coronation of Prince Leonhart and the installation of the Lady Quistis as King's Champion. At first there had been many disputes about allowing a woman to do what they thought was a man's job, but as Quistis was well known in Esthar Castle for her academic achievements as well as her skill with the chain whip, those who had objected had been cried down.

It was an honorable occasion, to be crowned King of Esthar. But Squall, sitting regally on the high seat, could not be happy. He was too conscious of the figure of his half-brother sitting on the far side of the high seat. 

For all his life it had been like this, Seifer spoiling his pleasure in his accomplishments. There was the scar Seifer had left on his shoulder, a memento from the time he had earned his father's praise in his swordsmanship. He had been thirteen then, he remembered, and Seifer fourteen.

There was the time…he was lost in bitter memories, totally oblivious to anything else. Only when he felt Quistis's fingers on his arm did he look up to acknowledge the speech the Kiros, as former Champion, was making for him.

He felt Seifer's eyes boring into the side of his head and knew that he had spoilt this moment too.

It was very late when the celebration was finally over and the new King and his champion were allowed to retire for the night. Quistis and Squall made their way back to their quarters in companiable silence, neither speaking. They stopped outside Squall's door and stared at each other, both of them tongue-tied.

"Uh…want to come in for a while?" Squall finally offered.

"Thought you'd never ask," Quistis teased, smiling as she stepped into the room. The servants had already built the fire, and the orange glow filled the room, giving it a warm, inviting atmosphere.

"It all happened so fast."

"Huh?" Squall asked.

"Laguna's death. Your coronation…can you believe it? You're the new ruler of Esthar. A new era is beginning."

"I've got you to help me, don't I?"

"Still, I didn't want it this way…not Laguna to leave so early."

"It's the way of Life. That's what Father used to tell me when I was younger."

"I suppose." She stretched out on the rug beside the fire. Squall was sprawled out next to her.

"I wonder what Seifer will do. He didn't look too happy tonight."

"What can he do? He has no power." He lifted his head. "You worry too much."

"I don't. I'm just cautious, that's all. You'd best get used to it, because I'm your new Champion. It's my duty to fuss over you."

"That's a blunt way to put it." There was that little half-smile of his, which always caused her heart to flip-flop. Then, without warning, he tackled her.

"Aaah!" She choked out in alarm, arms and legs flailing as he tickled her mercilessly. Squeals and giggles filled the room as she struggled to get out of the vicinity of his fingers.

"Squall…stop…you're killing me!" 

"You need to relax." He answered blandly.

He could still remember where she was ticklish, and his hands roamed her soft curves, poking and jabbing while she laughed and wriggled helplessly. She was not a little girl anymore, he realized, as his hands made contact with her womanly body. No more a child… The feel of her was sending urges raging through his veins.

The two rolled back and forth on the rug, until Squall pinned Quistis's arms to the ground to prevent her from moving. He loomed above her, a triumphant smirk on his face.

Squall's hands, all over her body…that was all Quistis could feel, and the aftershocks of the touches sent tingles all over her body. She shut her eyes, smiling faintly – it was a nice feeling, to have him touching her where no one else would ever have.

Something feather-light brushed across her lips, and her eyes popped open again. What was that? She never would have believed it.

He had just kissed her.

He had released her arms and sat watching her thoughtfully, a strange look in his eyes. She sat up too, and released her hair from its ponytail, which most of had come undone in the struggle.

The flickering light touched her hair with fire, illuminating the gold strands falling about her shoulders. She had never looked so appealing in his entire life. So desirable…so sexy.

Before he knew it, she had straddled him, pushing his upper body to lie back on the floor. Her ruby lips bent closer, while his arms reached up to pull her down to him.

A loud clap of thunder crashed, and lightning streaked the sky. There was something very wrong about it, however. The clouds were moving too fast…swirling…

"Squall!" Quistis was already halfway out the door. Muttering choice oaths under his breath, he grabbed his gunblade and went after her.

The whole castle seemed to be shaking, and they raced through the halls, trying to find the source of discord.

"Someone's using powerful magic," Quistis yelled over the howling gale. Oh, Hyne…the exact same thing had happened all those centuries ago, during the sorceress wars…the words sprang into her mind, straight out of her history book. 

The door to the throne room glowed furiously, and as Squall put his hand on the door handle, an unseen force hurled them both back.

She gasped in pain as her body hit the wall, the impact knocking the breath out of her. The door swung open to reveal the room bathed in glowing green light. 

"Welcome, my king and my lady." A mocking voice reached their ears.

"Seifer! Who – what -?" 

"So ends your reign." He stood in front of a giant, towering figure.

"Adel." Squall could barely make out the features of Esthar's once beautiful queen. The blond hair was gone, and a green mask covered her face. Sparks flew from her fingers.

"Ah, my Lord King, And his loyal Champion, the lady Quistis." The voice was not Adel's, rather, it had a rich, vibrating timbre, tinged with scorn. The voice carried a depth that suggested an age-old life.

"You were always a thorn in my side, King Leonhart. No matter, though. Once I kill you, the Kingship will belong to my son, and I, will rule all of Esthar! With the birth of the girl-child with the time compressing powers, I will dominate the world!"

Quistis had no idea what the sorceress was talking about. Defiance rang in her voice as she retorted, "You'll have to pass the King's Champion first, Adel. After which you can try to kill him."

"Seifer was right about your loyalty, Quistis. He wanted you as his Queen, but I'm afraid I won't be able to grant him that. Your affections for the bastard King are too deep."

With a little laugh, she continued. "You understand why I had to kill Laguna, don't you? The time was nearing for the birth of the girl-child. I needed complete rule of Esthar, so that when I had her powers, world dominance would be possible for me. I hadn't counted on Laguna changing his mind about his successor at the last moment. The poison must have scrambled his brain."

"My father was poisoned?" 

"You cannot succeed, Ultemicia." Another voice spoke this time, soft and calm. Mistress Edea had just entered the room.

Black and purple mist began swirling around Squall and Quistis. The world seemed to fade away into nothing. All around them was complete gray, and there seemed to be only the three of them in this strange, empty world – Edea, Squall, and Quistis. 

"Mistress Edea, what's going on?"

"The prophecy told of the birth of a girl-child with amazing powers to compress time. When Ultemicia, a sorceress from the future, heard of it, she determined to get the powers for her to rule the entire world, by compressing all time into one time frame."

"Who is this child?"

"We have yet to know. Listen, my children. We cannot defeat her here. Our magic is too weak. To save the world I can only think of one way – to use my knowledge of time magic send you into the future."

"I don't understand."

"Ultemicia grows stronger yet. Time runs short. You will understand it all – in due time."

"Send us to the future?"

"You, Squall, Laguna, Raine, Kiros, Seifer…all of the key people in Ultemicia's scheme. You were born to face her. You are no match for her now, but perhaps in the future, where you will have stronger understanding of magic... perhaps then you will be ready."

"Mistress Edea?"

"Go now, my children." She faded away, leaving the two of them in the strange gray mist.

Their surroundings darkened and began to spin in a whorl of black and purple. The clouds swirled again, and lightning split the sky into several fractions. Quistis clung to Squall in confusion. He held her tight in that spinning vortex, and lowered his head to hers.

"Did I ever tell you…" he said softly, pushing blond strands of hair away from her ear, "that I love you?"

"Never," she replied, just as quietly. "But I knew you did."

Just as before, the thunder crashed, and Quistis felt herself being pulled out of Squall's comforting arms. She was traveling fast, so fast. The gale created by her speed blew her hair back and blinded her eyes, and then the world exploded into a million pieces.

- end chapter 3 -

All right, so that was crappy…you know, flames may even be welcome this time.

I've still got an epilogue to go, and then this story is done. As usual, R&R please!


	4. Epilogue: Somewhere before

Epilogue: Somewhere before

Epilogue: Somewhere before 

By Silver Dolphin

Okay, this is told from Quistis's POV and is the concluding chapter to this story. 

As I make my way to class, my thoughts revolve around a certain student, as always. Squall Leonhart.

What is it that attracts me to him so strongly? He's never ever attempted to charm me, or anything like that. He keeps himself to himself, and speaks little. Hell, he barely looks me in the eye when I talk to him.

Yet there's just something - some strong bond between us that only I seem to feel. It's not just lust, although he _is_ very handsome. But then, so are many of my other students. Take that Seifer, for instance. He's just as intelligent as Squall, and he's of a more compatible age with me. Yet, even though all the girls are killing just to get near him, his sexy good looks don't even cause my eyelash to blink.

No, I'm sure it's more, a deeper connection that I can't even begin to fathom. And sometimes, I get this feeling of déjà vu when I'm talking to him – like it's happened before, so long ago. And it sounds lame, desperate even, but I think somewhere deep inside of him he cares for me.

My comm. link beeps sharply, and Doctor Kadowaki's voice comes through clearly. 

"Quistis? Come get your student."

"Hoe bad is it?" I know there's a note of worry in my voice. Earlier this morning, I was told that during a sparring session with Seifer Squall had received a nasty blow to his head. 

"It's not that bad, though it'll probably leave a scar."

"You had to sew it up then?"

"Yes, yes…"

"I'm on my way."

"Right."

A small shiver runs through my back as I change my direction. Instead of heading for the elevator I make my way to the infirmary instead.

Sew? How did I know that? Kadowaki had only said it would leave a scar.

As the doors open, I turn my head and look around. It's another of those déjà vu feelings yet again. But why? I've sure as hell never come to collect Squall from the infirmary before.

I stop for a moment to stare at him, lying on the bed with his eyes closed. Somewhere before…I'm put to mind of him, in the exact same position, just with different surroundings and with half his face covered in blood.

I blink and focus on him again. No blood.

A small smile forms on my lips and a resigned sigh escapes me as I watch my pupil for a moment. For just a short moment he's all mine to look at, to savor…

"I knew it'd either be you or Seifer!" I force myself to say cheerfully, to cover all the confusion that's been clouding my brain. I bend over him, and the picture of his scar up close…sends a kind of shock through me. I've seen it all before…somewhere. But the blinking memory won't come back to me.

He doesn't reply, but then again he seldom does.

"Come on, let's go. Today's the field exam."

I study him critically as he walk. There's something out of place…

"Something on your mind, Squall?" I ask him softly. I really wish he'll understand that I care…that he doesn't have to hide behind that stonewall.

"Not really," we chorus together. I try to hold my laughter as we walk. It's the first time I've ever done that; blurt out what he's thinking. Maybe…maybe, I'm beginning to melt that ice that he's got frozen around himself.

Why? I'm not sure why I suddenly know what he's thinking. Must be that connection between us.

I can't hold my laughter anymore…it rings out clearly. Squall stops in his tracks and turns around to give me a flat, unfriendly look. Oh, well. At least I got his attention.

"What's so funny?" he demands acidly.

"Funny?" I blink in surprise. "No, it's not that! I'm just happy because I fell I'm beginning to understand my student a little." Only Hyne knows how difficult a task he's made understanding him for me.

He turns back, as if to continue walking. "I'm much more complex than you think."

Of course he is. That's why he's such a mystery to me. Yet, I feel as if I should know his character completely, and not just because I'm his instructor.

"Then tell me," I reply, with just a little bit of challenge in my voice. "Tell me about yourself."

His tone is flat, decisive. "It's none of your…"

"…Business!" I finish for him. There it is again. That uncanny knack for completing his sentences.

I laugh silently to myself and walk ahead of him. Maybe someday, I'll understand what all these confusing feelings are. That invisible connection, and this feeling that I've known him somewhere before.

Somewhere before…

- owari - 

Okay, pple, this is the end of the story…hope y'all enjoyed it! R&Rs please!


End file.
